Sunday, September 07, 2008

How to panhandle a degree

Now, usually the Time category is reserved for Justin and his surliness, but today we've got an interesting bit-- about a high school graduate emailing strangers for tuition money so he can attend NYU. Asking for a lot of small donations instead of a few big ones is generally not the way to raise a lot of money, but with costless solicitation and a tug on the heart strings...I think this is his best strategy.

I am a bit curious as to why the loan market didn't cover the full amount; are capital markets that hesitant to take on risky loans? Is funding a student through NYU a risky loan?

I'm reminded of the recent hubbub over internet sites offering panhandling tips; like panhandling, I think this student was very wise in asking for an exact amount to contribute.

1 comment:

Justin M Ross said...

Part of his hook was that he will send them a piece of his graduation gown on that fateful day. So people will get a tangible benefit to having helped him out.